Liquor aging means



Patented apela, 193s UNITE-.D STATES' PATENT oFFlcEr 2,114,009 i manon AGINGMEANS -sammeln.

y, Santa Crus,

Application .ministryy ses,l 1935. serial No. 3,431

, Renewed Maxell 14, 193s The present invention .relates to' improv ents in agingmeans for liquor and similar beverages, `which after vmanufacture have to go through an extended period of ripening or aging for the remnval of harmfull component parts -of' the original product of manufacture. This aging proc ess is carried on, at the present time, inwooden barrels;l there being a'certain'interaction between the wood and the liquor 'which tends to eliminate the harmful, gase's. But, as 'conducted at the present time. aging is' 'very slow 'and .usually extends over a. periodofyears.

It is also well known that when the'liquor is -placed in 'a container of different material, such as a .glass bottle or .tin can, the agingv process is arrested, the presence ofthe right kind Vof wood. and 'thc aeration offered b y a wooden barrel.' however slight, Abeing necessary requisites for Proper 38h18- vention'toprovide an aging' means for liquor that :may vbe in connection with a glass bottle, tin can or any other kindof'container made' of impervious'matcrial and that will tend l to speedup the aging process vin view of the fact that thev aging means isA in more intimate contact with'the body of the liquor and is con- "structed insuch a manner that much more surface is available for a certainquantity'ofliquor.

It is furtherproposed in this invention to pro- .fvide the aging means. in such v'a manner that a. certain amount of circulation sets in immediately,` whereby the liquor is made to pass the-aging means continually and whereby new amounts of ''rfrtfls' rurther' proposed t0 mde lungi that while it speeds uvthe $81118, Stmone in which liquor ases proverb; `'lllnctlicrand other objects ofthe invention will menatunl process which seem to be the l. r in 'accompanyingl inl whichthe chemical process of il; is theprlnelpal object or tnegpresent la-' 'liquor'are brought into contact with theag'il'lg4 a' `cartilla.

Figure `1 shows a vertical central section through a glass bottle-having my aging means combined therewith,

Figure 2 a vertical central section through a glass bottle-having a' modiiied aging stick and a modified attaching means for the same Figure 3 a sideelevation of an aging stick detached from the bottle, the aging stick-being slightly modified;

lFigure 4 a side elevation of a still further modi; .0 fled form of aging stick. and i Figure 5 a horizontal section through the aging stick of Figure 4 as seen from line 5 5.

While I have s hown only'the preferred forms of my invention-I wish to 'have it understood if' -that various changes or modifications may be `made within the scopeof the claims hereto atl1 tached'wlthout departing-from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing 1n detamtile bottle l 20 shown in Figure 1 may 'be of-v any suitable form.

It is shown in the vdrawing asls'qua're. in cross-fsection but any other suitable forlnmight be substituted, a flat'form being less desirable than a square or roundform. It-is shown as made o f g5 'glass but a metal container may be' substituted without 'interfering-with the idea of the invennon.. M

' The aging means comprises an aging stick -2,

.- made of Whiteoak and charred, which extends centrallyinto the bottle from the neck I thereof.

' The stick is preferably vgrooved' or perforated to increase the surface thereof and this may be aocomplishedin many different ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the form shown in Figure l a' central bore 'l .extends `from the bottom to withinclose proximity of the top ofthe bottle. A series of transverse ports i extend through the stick', the ports preferably ternating so thatr each is disposed at 40 right-an les to its neighboring ports. In tlieAform shown in Figure 3 a spiral groove I is cut into the outside of the stick while the -central bore may connect with .the outside through one or` more ports l near the upper end of the stick. '111e stick, shown in .Figure 3 is similarly constructed except that annular paroi-- lel grooves. I areprovided instead of thespiral groove l. And finally in the form shown in Fig- 'ures 4 and-5, longitudinal 'grooves s' areprovlded 5 to increase .the surface area.

- The sticks are secured in the bottles in such a manner that while making a liquid tightcontainer provision is defor a :slight amount of aeration allowing gasesliberatedby the aging allow of slight expansion of the head of the. aging process to escape. In the form shown in Figure 1 the neck 3 of the bottle is provided with an internabshoulder I0 and the aging stick is provided with an enlarged head Il forming a shoul, der I2 made lforcoaction with the shoulder I0 in compressing a sealing medium such as the cor ring I3 therebetween. This cork ring may als '\j stick due to absorption of moisture. The top of 4the head of theaging stick is covered by the threaded cap I 4, a washer I5 of slightly lporous material, such as ber, being interposed. It will then be seen that the washer I0 coacts with the aging stick in forming a liquidtight seal for the bottle, while at the same time gases liberated by the aging process may rise' through the porous aging stick to the cap .and may escape through the porous washer I5 and between the, threads of the cap and the bottle.A j

Int'he form shown in Figure 2 a slightly modified form is used, serving'the same purpose. In

. this form the shoulders I0 and I2 are provided in the same manner and bear on the sealing ring I 3, while the top of the aging stick is rounded, as shown at I6 and thus spaces the cap I4 Vfrom the top edge of the bottle sumciently to allow gases to escape.

The manner in which my invention operates will be readily understood from the foregoing description. -The aging stick itself with its Shaped surface oiers a large area for reaction with the 4liquor in aging the latter. At the same time a certain amount of circulation is set up, the liquor rising through capillary attraction in the, central bore and discharging through the lateral ports' in a continuousjslow process whereby new liquor comes in contact with the aging stick continually and whereby the aging process is speeded up.

While the seal at the shoulders prevents any splashing out of the liquid, the aging stick itself,

' which is porous allows gasesto escape through -that the liquor' is properly aged.

the top and the cap,does not hermetically seal the bottle.

The saving that may be effectedv bythe use of my aging means is apparent, The handling of liquor in barrels is expensive and takes up much space at the place of manufacture..v Where my aging means isused the liquor may be filled into the bottle or can immediately, the bottles may be dated and packed in cases and distributed throughout the country to be stored in warehouses. The dating of the bottles givesv the advantage of advising the consumer yhow long'the liquor has been aged and once theA proper aging period has been established the user can' be sure My aging means may be used for any kind of liquor, whiskey, brandy,.fortifled wines, gin, etc. For gin the wood shouldbe charred all the way through so that the white not be changed.

I claim: l1. In combination, a container for liquor and the like having a neckand a shoulder. in the neck, a stick of aging wood projecting into the container andihaving a head with a shoulder adapted vcolor of the gin may 2. In combination, a container for liquor and the like having a neck and a shoulder in theneck, a stick of aging wood projecting into the container and having a head with a shoulder adapted for coaction with the rst shoulder' in closing the A`eontainer and means bearing on the top of the stick for urging the shoulders together, the latter means including a cap forming a second closure for the. container and arranged to allow of leakage of gases passing through the-stick.

3. An aging member for liquor or the like com`- prising an elongated stick entirely of aging wood having a longitudinal bore extending from one end thereof to a point spacedfromthe other enc and having transverse portsl leading from vthe bore to the outside. of the stick.

4. An aging member for liquor or the like comprisingl an elongated stick entirely of aging wood having a longitudinal bore extending from one end thereoi to a point'spaced from the other enr.` and having'transverse ports leading from the bore to the outside of the stick, and having' grooves cut into the outer surface thereof.

5. In combination. a container for liquor or the like having a closure and a shoulder below the closure, an aging stickprojecting into the container and having a shoulder 4for coaction with the vcontainer-.shoulder and a washer interposed between the two shoulders forv preventing the escape of the liquor, the closure being madeto bear onthe stick for urging its shoulder 'upon the washer.

. 6. In combination, a container for liquor or the like havingv a closure and a shoulder below the closure', an aging stick projecting into Athe con tainer-and having a shoulder for coaction with the container shoulder, anda washer interposed between the two shoulders for preventing' the escape of the liquor, the closure being made t9 lbear on the stick for urging its shoulder upon the washer, there being suiilcient clearance between the container and the closure to allow gases rising through the stick to escape.

'7. In combination, a container for liquor and the like having a neck and a; shoulder in the neck,

the shoulders, a cap for the container arranged to bear on the head of the aging stick for urging the' head upon the shoulder in the neck, the

stick projecting into the liquor and having a lon- .r 'gitudinal bore extending from its free end to a point spaced from the head and having transverse passages extending from the bore to the outside of the stick whereby the liquor is made to circu-- late through the stick and Ygases are allowedV to escape through the head of the stick, the cap `being secured to the container neck with suilicient clearance SAMUEL R. RAMsAY. 

